Michiel Adriaenszoon de Ruyter
(Vlissingen, 24th March 1607 - Bay of Syracuse, 29th april 1676)

M.A. de Ruyter was from a low-class family. His father was seaman, later a carrier of beer crates, and then Porter of Vlissingen. On the age of 11 Michiel started to sail on the sea.
His first military experience was during the Spanish siege of Bergen op Zoom.
He started his carreer as cleaner on a ship, but quickly promoted and, after a while, thanks to his character and knowledge (he had acquired in those short years a considerable amount of knowledge about navigation and learned many foreign languages), he became captain on a ship rented to the Admirality.
He participated with the expedition of Arnout Gysels to Portugal, where he got a bit famous already during the seabattle of Cape St.Vincent (1641).
Negative experiences during this expediton made him turn away from war-practices to the merchantism. He travelled to North-Africa and the Antilles.
At the beginning of the first Anglo-Dutch Seawar, he was rich enough to start to live of his interest. However, he was convinced in 1652 to join, only for one trip, the Admirality of the province of Zeeland.
He showed himself to be a great tactician during the battles at Plymouth, at the Downs, at Dungeness, Portland, Nieuwpoort and Ter Heijde.
On 11 november 1653, thanks to dutch "raadspensionaris" (one of the most important persons in the country) Johan de Witt), he became vice-admiral of Amsterdam, in which he settled in 1655.

After that he commanded many fleets to the Mediterranean, mostly to protect mechant ships against piratism, and he participated in the East Sea at the relief of Danzig (1656), and also he participated at the bloccade of Portugal (1658).
In 1659, he went back to the East Sea, under luitenant-admiral Jacob baron of Wassenaer-Obdam, where he did a good job in the expedition to Funes.
Typical for his style of commanding was that he set the first foot on land during the landing in the Bay of Kerteminde.
In 1664, he recaptured some Dutch colonies the English Royal African Company had conquered from Holland in West-Africa, and then he went to New-Foundland to pirateer english ships.
In 1665 he came back to the Republic (Holland), where he got promoted to luitenant-admiral, commanding the fleet of the country. His flagship became the "Zeven Provincin".
In june 1666 he achieved a great victory over the English in the Fourday Seabattle. However, the Twoday seabattle in august was a defeat, but de Ruyter could still save the worst by tactical navigation in the retreat (he recieved the most important french medal for foreigners for this from french king Louis XIV, one of the many medals he recieved in his life (and more after his life)). de Ruyter said that the defeat of the Two-day seabattle was the fault of Cornelis Tromp, a relative of the other famous dutch seahero, M.H. Tromp. Cornelis Tromp was fired. His accusal was for a part false.
In 1667, he lead one of his most famous expedition, to Chatham.
But the most important thing in his life came in the 3rd Anglo-Dutch War (1672-1674), where he showed his superiority over the English in practice, battle-discipline, and tactics. He succesfully fought with English and French fleets far greater in numbers at Solebay (1672), Schooneveld and Kijkduin (1673). This saved the Republic from an invasion from the sea.
He also won the battle at Kijkduin, mostly because the English retreated from the war.

In 1675 he was sent to the Mideterranean to help the Spanish ally against the French. He got famous for his noble loyalty with his accepting this, even though this was almost a suicidal action. "Because the Lords are loyal to their flag, I will risk my life". He was succesful in the battles at Stomboli and Syracuse, but in that last battle (Syracuse) he was heavily wounded (22 april 1676). He died one week later. 
His body was transported to the Netherlands, and put in the Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam. His tomb was made, ordered by the States-General, by Rombout Verhulst.


De Ruyter was a genious tactical, unsurpassed in using large numbers of sailing ships. He showed rightfulness as well as humanity, and he earned his nickname "Bestevaer" (grandfather) from the sailors. In his character most noticeable were piecy and simpleness.



- taken and translated freely from an article by Drs. Ph. M. Bosscher